warriorsfanficfandomcom-20200213-history
The Dreamer/Part Three
Earthpaw I stood over Waterpaw's mangled body. His leg was twisted in a painful looking way, and he had a huge swelling around his shoulder from where he'd landed. His jaw was crushed slightly, and it looked horribly crooked from where he'd landed. He was breathing, thankfully, but I knew that not even Poolwhisker could fix his face, though the leg would heal. I turned around to see Airpaw, Firepaw and Poolwhisker bounding up to us. I'd sent Airpaw to get them after I'd followed her into the forest and seen Waterpaw. The medicine cat had a large wad of cobwebs and bindweed in her jaws, whilst my fellow apprentices were carrying herbs. I watched in silence as Poolwhisker examined Waterpaw. She spent a long time studying him, and when she looked up, I asked, 'Will he be alright?' Poolwhisker nodded. 'Yes, fine, but I'm afraid I can't do anything about the jaw.' I breathed a sigh of relief, and Airpaw licked my ear. I watched the medicine cat at work, wrapping cobwebs, bindweed and comfrey round his leg, then forcing daisy leaf, dandelion and a juniper berry into Waterpaw's open mouth. 'How did he fall?' Firepaw asked, turning to Airpaw, who'd witnessed the accident. I hadn't had time to ask Airpaw how the injuries had occured, so I was just as curious. Waterpaw must've been doing something really dangerous. Airpaw looked uncomfortable, so I nodded reassuringly. 'Well, Echo and Waterpaw were arguing, and then Waterpaw went a bit...I don't know what happened.' Firepaw and I exchanged glances. We knew that it was Waterpaw's mental block that must've driven him crazy. 'So whilst he was distracted, Echo ran off into the woods and then when Waterpaw regained his vision, he went after him. I ran into the forest, but I couldn't see him anywhere. That was, until I ran into this clearing and saw Waterpaw falling off that tree.' Airpaw nodded towards the tree beside us. 'Echo was under it, and I think Waterpaw was trying to ambush him, because he ran off the territory and I didn't see him again. Then Waterpaw was lying on the ground, unconcious.' Airpaw sounded miserable, and I didn't blame her. It wasn't nice. 'Well, let's wake him up,' Poolwhisker decided. She bent over Waterpaw's lifeless body and began to lick his fur the wrong way. His eyelids fluttered, but remained closed. After several more moments of me holding my breath, Waterpaw's eyes opened fully, revealing clouded amber pools. 'Where....is....Echo?' he croaked. Airpaw, Firepaw and I all exchanged glances. We knew he would be mad if we told him where Echo'd gone. Firepaw decided he had the courage, and mewed briskly, 'Well, he escaped and went off territory.' Waterpaw immediatly tried to get up, but then howled in pain and slumped back down again. 'Traitor...' he rasped. 'Who is this Echo anyway?' Poolwhisker asked. 'You're making a big fuss about his dissapearance.' 'Oh, he's just a DarkClan cat,' I muttered uncertaintly. 'Ow...' Waterpaw moaned. 'My face hurts...It hurts to talk. What's happened ....to my face?' 'Stop moving,' Firepaw ordered. 'When you fell from the tree, you landed on your shoulder, and that will reckover, but you also landed on the side of your jaw, and I...I don't think it will be the same again.' 'Show....me.' 'Can we take him to the pond?' I asked Poolwhisker. The medicine cat looked uncertain. 'They're fresh injuries. They may not heal properly.' But, wincing, Waterpaw had began to struggle forward in the other direction. I immediatly rushed forward to help him, and he seemed grateful when I offered my shoulder for support. Grunting, I hauled the two of us forward. It was only a few fox lengths, but it felt like several sunrises. Finally, we reached the overflowing pool of water, growing steadily bigger with the falling raindrops. Leaning over the pool, Waterpaw looked down on his face. On seeing his reflection, his tail drooped, and his ears lay flat. 'He...he did this to me. Next time...next time I see him...I'll kill him on the spot.' he swore. Even though I was trying to persuade myself that Echo was gone, I had a feeling we'd be meeting him again, and I could wait for that time. ---- Leaving Waterpaw to be looked after, I bounded back into the clearing, I could see that the battle was still in full swing, though there were less cats. Most were getting their injuries treated, but I could see some familiar bodies lying motionless on the floor. 'No!' I cried, seeing Firepaw crouched over a bloodstained body. It was Snowstripe, our mother. I could barely breath, there was something choking me. I hardly recognized her, her gorgeous white pelt was so scarlet and matted. 'Who did this?' I whispered to Firepaw. Looking into his eyes, I saw my own sorrow reflected there. 'Deathstar,' he answered grimly. I buried my nose in her pelt for the last time, feeling her warmth. 'Hunt well in StarClan,' I murmured. Suddenly, the strange feeling I knew came over me, and my eyes went misty. Before my eyes, I saw myself, on top of a small rock, Deathstar pinned down beneath my paws, and I was about to slit his throat... I blinked, my vision recovering. I knew there was only one way to end it all, to avenge all my dead Clanmates, my mother, and that was to kill Deathstar, which would be a difficult job. He was sitting on top of the rock again, guarded by a circle of fierce warriors. Driven by my quest for vengence, ans my vison, I charged towards the guards. Anger was controling me, and as soon as the first guard began to attack me, I bit down as hard as I could on his flank. I shoud get irate more often, ''I reflected, as the huge tom reeled away from me. A she-cat hounded on my next, spitting but I was ready. She landed on top of me, but I had sudden strength, and I pushed her off, then slashed blindly all over her back, relishing the feel of flesh beneath claws. I looked around; there were four more cats remaining each one bigger and more powerful then the other. I felt a tingling warmth on my back and I realised that the sun had peeped out, but it was still raining. Quickly, I licked a paw and drew it over one ear. I bunched my muscles, and letting out a battle yowl, I sank my teeth into the nearest warrior. He was a big ginger tabby brute, and I soon realised I could not battle this tom, no matter how much I tried. Within a couple of heartbeats he had me pinned down, his claws sinking into my shoulder. He lowered his teeth to my nech, and I tried to wriggle round and bite him, but he had the strength of a badger. As his hollow eyes drew nearer, I sent my final prayers to StarClan that I would get there safely. Closing my eyes, I felt calm, collected, prepared to die for my Clan. I felt the warrior's paws loosen on me. I opened my eyes, and saw two ginger and white flashes scratching and biting the DarkClan tom. With him distracted, I slipped out of his grip, clawing his nose as I slid out. The two pelts I'd seen were Airpaw and Firepaw. 'Thank you,' I breathed. 'We would've done it anyway,' Firepaw growled, slicing away at one of the other guards' ears. Glancing at me, Airpaw mewed, 'Get Deathstar.' I showed I understood with a flick of my tail, then leapt onto the rock. There he was, the leader, the enemy. When I saw me, I swore I saw a flicker of doubt cross his eyes. Then he regained his composure. 'You can't destroy us,' he snarled. 'This forest is ours, and you now it.' Spitting in fury, he sprang at me, but I was too quick, and I hopped out of the way. He crashed onto the stone, and I saw blood slide down the side of his face from his forehead. I pinned him down, glaring into his dark eyes for the last time. He writhed feebly, but he didn't have the strength. 'Go on,' he rasped. 'End it...end it all. I will go to StarClan peacefully.' 'StarClan will never accept you,' I growled. 'Your Clan doesn't have a StarClan, they are so evil.' 'Kill me then,' Deathstar said, gasping for breath. 'I have...a friend...he will...make sure...I get my revenge.' My eyes flashed in alarm. 'Who is he?' I demanded. 'Listen to the dying echoes...the masked one...' he answered, and insane look crossing his features, and a throaty purr escaping him. I released one paw and slit his throat. A river of blood washed over me, shining scarlet in the sunlight. 'I...will...live...on...' Deathstar promised feebly, before death took over him and he lay still, his cruel black eyes lit up. The bloody tide washed over my feet, and its salty tang burned in my throat. Too weak to do anything else, I slumped to the floor, and the enemy's vow burned in my head: ''I will live on.... END OF PART THREE